As computing power becomes move affordable and the continuing efforts of computer scientists to develop ever more sophisticated software progress, robots are increasingly becoming a part of our everyday lives. We continue to develop intelligent machines to do those menial repetitive tasks, as well as dangerous jobs. Each time a machine can be implemented to do a task, a human being is freed to do more complicated and creative endeavors.
One area of robotics that has been receiving much media attention lately is that of mobile robots. The DARPA Grand Challenge received international media coverage. It is hoped that such public awareness will slowly open the minds of our societies to the concept of autonomous mobile robots, and pave the way to acceptance. The biggest challenge for these machines is social acceptance. People must be comfortable with the idea before we can even consider adopting such a technology.
One such machine is the
SCIMR, the
Self Contained Industrial Mobile Robot. The SCIMR platform is about the size of a medium sized home and garden riding lawnmower, sans seat and operator controls of course. Powered by a forty horsepower diesel engine, the SCIMR has both a forward and after PTO (Power Take Off) as well as an optional rotary mower deck attached below the main unit. The utility of the SCIMR is limited only by the imagination of the computer programmer, and the assortment of PTO attachments
From Lynxmotion, this the Lynx 6 Robot Arm. With 6 degrees of freedom, it is an excellent tool for robot developers to experiment or students to learn about robotics. It can be operated manually with a control box, or automatically by a PC or a microcontroller based control unit. The Basic Stamp Computer or Basic Atom Board is ideal for this application. Check out the
Nipperbou Hobby Robot Resource Page for more info.
